NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE A SYSTEM AND ORGANIZATION CONTROLS (SOC) 1, TYPE 2 AUDIT FOR NIH’S ERA GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE ORDER AND NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS.

This contract action is for the acquisition of services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 13.106-1(b).  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to award a single order against GSA MAS GS00F290CA to Ernst & Young LLP, 1 Manhattan West, New York, NY 10001, for the acquisition of a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 1, Type 2 audit for NIH’s eRA grants management system.

The proposed acquisition represents a logical follow-on to the ongoing HHS financial audit support services work that the Ernst & Young LLP provides through its SOC audits of CIT’s data center and PMS, by placing a new order against GSA MAS GS00F290CA. The contractor shall conduct a SOC 1, Type 2 examination of NIH’s eRA in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 18 (SSAE 18). The audit will assess the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls relevant to user entities' financial reporting in Fiscal Year 2026.

The anticipated period of performance will be from March 1, 2026 through October 27, 2026.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541211 – Offices of Certified Public Accountants and a size standard of $26.5M.

NCI will solicit and negotiate directly with Ernst & Young LLP and no solicitation will be issued.  Interested parties may identify their interest and capability.  Award is subject to approval of the Limited Sources Justification.  This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations; however, an interested party may submit a statement of capabilities if they believe they can meet the above requirement.  The statement of capabilities must be submitted in writing and contain sufficient detail to allow the Government to determine if the party can provide the requirement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely with the discretion of the Government.  All responses must be received within 5 days from the date of publication of this synopsis.  Information received will normally be considered for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.  If no affirmative responses are received within 5 days of this notice, an award will be made to Ernst & Young LLP.  This procurement is to be processed using Simplified Acquisition Procedures.  There is no solicitation package available.  For any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Elizabeth Bulger via email Elizabeth.bulger@hhs.gov.